Things Are Not Always What It Seems
by ElliMacaroni
Summary: High School AU. Well not really, but it's like Alfred and Arthur being the best of friends since childhood. One of them keeps on denying his true feelings, while the other had just waited for the perfect time to tell the other what he really felt.


**A/N: **Hallo guys. I would continue my other stories, but I am just fulfilling a birthday request. It's my first time to make a USUK though, so please bear with me.

Have some fluffy teenage love. Leave some reviews, si?

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**Things Are Not Always What It Seems**

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"ALFRED, YOU BLOODY GIT! COME BACK HERE!"

I practically screamed as I chased after Alfred who, apparently, stole my lunch box again for the nth time. Surely, he had another set of those nasty plans with his food. That glutton kid, it even goes without asking.

"YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME BEFORE YOU CAN, ARTIE!"

Without a second thought, he dove to the pool with his lunchbox. Ugh, that bloody git damn knows how to really infuriate me well. Luckily, it was waterproof enough not to make its contents wet. But I won't risk it. So I had no choice but to dive as well, much to his horror.

"ARTHUR! GO BACK! THE WATER'S DEEP!"

I heard my best friend desperately shout as he frantically swam back to the edge of the pool as fast as he could. Yes, you heard it right. He's my best friend, or at least that's what he calls me. It is really excruciating to admit, but I love him more than best friends._ No, Arthur, no. Thou must not destroy the sanctity of your rapport._ Thus, I decided to keep on denying my feelings for him, and decided that staying as friends is the best thing to do rather than ruining it.

Before I continue this, might as well introduce myself. Greetings, I am Arthur Kirkland, 17 years old and just your average guy. But all of that's in contrast to Alfred F. Jones, my best friend - well at least that's what he calls me. He was everything any teenager would want to be. As a school varsity player, he was popular in school and was never a subject to all sorts of bullying, unlike the studious and the nerds who are always picked on. But if there were two things he "would die to steal away from me", in his own words, was my brain and….well he kept the other one a secret. Makes me wonder what it is.

We have been the best of friends since diapers. We grew up together in the same neighbourhood and went to the same school. Our parents were great acquaintances as they were business partners, and that strong bond between our families has given us the chance to deeply know everything about each other. We were just like any other friends – we shared secrets, clothes, made different memories both the good and the bad, but we survived them all. I just do not understand what happened to me that when I woke up one day, I had just realized I have fallen madly in love with him.

What, don't judge me for it! Look, it never was my fault that he had to be overprotective and caring to me! I mean, who wouldn't fall for a person who defends you from the bullies although it meant getting rejected by his teammates? Oh well, he was still a key player, so the "pussies have to deal with it" as he would say. Sadly, he acts like that even if we are friends only and forever we would stay like that.

Well anyways, going back to that lunch chase, he was too late though - I have already jumped, not hearing the warning from the other as my head was focused on the lunchbox. Shit, it was the worst decision I have made in my entire life.

"AL! AL!"

I managed to shout as I barely kept my head up the surface. For heaven's sake, it was utterly an inane decision of me to jump a 6-foot deep pool without even knowing how to swim. Alright, let me make this very clear. It's not my dire fault that I have never learned how to swim nor would most likely swim. Not because I am afraid of the open waters but because of a traumatic experience in the past that involved waters – hell no, I have never been afraid of anything.

Well, maybe there was. Of course I won't tell about it anymore.

As panic started to run in me, I sank to the bottom. I can't breathe anymore. But even before I completely drowned, he had already pulled me up.

"DIDN'T I TELL YOU NOT TO JUMP ON THE POOL?! ARTHUR, SINCE WHEN DID YOU BECOME HARD-HEADED?!" He lectured as we walked towards the lockers to change clothes after pulling me out of the water.

"Alfred, I have always been hard headed. See? My skull is hard. If it was soft, I would have died from a simple concussion. Plus, was there ever a person who had a soft head?" I knocked on my head lightly to prove my point.

"AND YOU STILL HAD THE GUTS TO SAY THAT?!" He hit me hard at the back of my head, giving him a scowl from his best friend.

"YOU BLOODY GIT THAT HURTS!" I held the back of my head as I rolled my eyes. "Plus, if you had not stolen my lunch box from me, I would not have jumped on the pool and this would not have happened. At all."

I don't clearly remember what happened after, but I do recall getting wrapped by those big arms that pulled me into a tight hug. "Geez, Artie, don't do that again. Stop making me worried like that."

There it was again. I could not move as I heard my heart beating again. Here he goes again, getting all that worried and stuff as if I could not stand of my feet. I'm used to this already, but why does it always feel like the first time?

Well, that was just it. No matter how I become jittery and all that, I would never admit nor show him how I really feel. I just hope that it lasts forever.

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It's our 17th friendship anniversary. To make it different from what we used to do, we decided to celebrate in the beach alone. Imagine, 17 years of friendship, meaning we were best friends at the moment we came to existence. Oh parents.

"Does your tummy still hurt?" My train of thoughts had just been interrupted as Alfred asked me worriedly while flipping the grilled pork. That's when I realized I was just staring at the grill as I sat on the sand. We decided to watch the sunset while eating an early dinner, and as we wait, he is preparing the food.

"Oh yes, I'm perfectly fine already." I assured him as I glanced and saw something, some small gift, sitting peacefully on a chair nearby. "Alfred, what is that?

"Oh, you mean this?" I watched as he unwrap the gift and revealed some small box inside, and laughed at him as I assumed that it was for me. "What is that, some gift for me on our friendship anniversary?" Let me emphasize that word FRIENDSHIP.

I received no reply from as he just laughed and opened the box, revealing a ring seated on the cushion. Whoa, I have never imagined that damned git had some taste for a gift – it was some ring that had the infinity symbol. Hm, I thought he hated calculus? A few moments later, he spoke as he removed the ring from the cushion.

"It's for my beloved, for the one I would love to be with for the rest of my life. I want to give this to that person so that he would know that he is the one and only princess of my heart. I may not be the perfect prince charming like those of the fairy tales but I'll promise to be the knight in shining armour that would protect him at all cost."

That hit me so much like a damn sharp bull's eye. How dare he show that on our anniversary? Yeah sure, once time is lost, it cannot be brought back. But still, he could have showed that to me when we are at school or something.

_Once time is lost, it cannot be brought back_. I knew it; I was not the apple of his eye although we were the best of friends since time in memorial. What could I even expect; I hid myself in all these years, denying my feelings no matter how hard it is to contain them whenever he's around. Should have told him sooner, right? If only I had the balls for that.

I felt tears stream down my cheeks as I looked down. "That girl must really be lucky, right? She's got a guy like you who is willing to devote his time for her." I heard Alfred laugh like it was just some game. "Geez cut that out, Artie. You sound like a maniacal old man when you say that~!"

I could not hold it any longer. Before he sees these stupid tears running down my cheeks, I ran away without telling him. God, so this is what you call a heart break. How would I even know how it felt in the first place? I never courted anyone; I was always into maintaining my grades and trying to be the top student as well as attending the student council meetings – what would you expect from that? I knew I ran for miles already, I can feel my heart pumping really loud and running out of breath, but I will never stop. I just want to go away from this….

…until someone held my arm. As I turned back, shit. It was none other than Alfred.

"Artie, is something wrong? Did I say anything bad?"

"YOU ASK ME WHAT'S WRONG? SERIOUSLY? You know what Alfred, you're the problem. Why are you so cruel, Al? Why did you let me fall in love with you carelessly? Why did you let me cherish you more than as a friend when I know myself this would just be some kind of unrequited love like those in the books?!"

He just looked at me in the eyes questioningly as I let out a helpless sigh.

"Bloody hell, Alfred. Don't you still get it? Or is it really just you are a total airhead that you won't even know. Seriously, is it really that unnoticeable? I love you, Alfred! Yes, I have loved you for many years now and you wouldn't even notice. I didn't even have the guts to tell you. I was afraid that you would get angry at me and all that friendship that we had for all these years would be gone in just a nick of time. But now I have told you this, and I would not even expect you to be best friends with me still, because I had just ruined it by admitting I love you more than a bestfriend."

I was panting hard after that as tears continue to stream down my cheeks. At last, I have told him that feeling I have been harbouring for so long.

"Yeah, you're right. I don't think I would still be able to call you my best friend after that confession…."

_Pull youself together, Arthur. Isn't this what you expect after this? _But it was too hard for me. Why was this causing me too much pain? I deserve all of this, right?

Does that mean Alfred is going to distance himself away from me now?

"…because from now on, you would be my princess, or prince. Whatever." He continued as he got my right hand and slipped the ring he showed me earlier on my ring finger.

I was surprised as he did. But before I could even retort, he kissed my tears away as he cupped my cheeks and looked earnestly at me in the eye.

"Arthur, I've always loved you more than best friends since we were young. We just had the same reason – I was too afraid to lose you. Guess I didn't have the balls as well," we both chucked a bit before he continued, "but I thought that it would hurt more if I do not tell you and you find another one. Don't mind our parents, I mean, I have already told my dad about it and apparently he was fine with us together, so is your dad."

"Wait, let me process these all. So you mean…?"

"With all my heart, Arthur. Ever since."

"But why did you tell me earlier I was some maniacal old man…"

He laughed. "Come on, Artie. Who is in the right mind to get jealous of his own self self?" He laughed louder as he pinched my cheeks. "Hehe Artie, you're so red."

"S-shut up you bloody git!" I punched his gut and put up a pout on my face, which earned me a low groan from him. "Serves you right."

"But really, do I get that as a yes?" He managed to speak as he clutched at his stomach.

Heh. You could imagine my face right now - beet red and tear-filled. But still, I managed to laugh while nodding.

"Oh Artie, why did you have to be so talented? I've never seen a man laugh while crying~" He laughed much to his amusement, but that was him making fun of me. As usual. "So, don't get angry if I say that this would be our last anniversary as friends. Eh, you know, the next year would be our first couple anniversary, right?"

I felt my face get hotter as he said that. Much to my embarrassment, I shouted at him. "YEAH JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU BLOODY GIT! I'M SURE THE BABECUE'S BURNT AND WE HAVE TO GET BACK!"

And that was how it had gone, he constantly teasing me about it as we held our hands while walking back to our tent.


End file.
